The Line
by VenusJay
Summary: Anakin Skywalker is the Chosen One but that doesn't mean he is perfect and it doesn't mean his Master has an easy job. Sometimes Obi Wan despairs of the reckless youth and they both feel lost. When Anakin has his braid cut off in disgrace, it changes their relationship, perhaps for the better. Stories of their entwined lives and the fight against growing darkness.
1. A master and his boy

The constellations were beautiful here. Obi Wan and Anikan had set course for the outer rim and almost crash landed little over an hour before into a dry and blank landscape. There seemed to be a glitch in the on board systems that even Anakin was puzzled by. Obi Wan had grown weary of his tinkering and suggested they simply signal for help and make themselves comfortable for the wait. This was a trading planet and as such ships often passed through, one was likely enough to be friendly to their cause. Whilst his Master was at the controls recording a message of their predicament, Anakin had busied himself making a fire.

The young padawan found himself staring into the distance as he waited for Obi Wan and his thoughts were of the mission that lay before them upon their return. He remembered all he could of the young girl who had once taunted him back in the desert sands. He remembered her face had been sweet and her voice lovely in the way that many females are. A lot like his own mother.

"Well, we should receive a response soon enough," Obi Wan said in his usual calming demeanour.

"I could take a look at it Master, strengthen the signal," Anakin suggested automatically. After all this time he found he was always eager to please.

"Not now, Anakin."

The young boy was clearly affronted by Obi Wan's lack of warmth and the Master watched him with the growing concern that he had spoiled him beyond repair. It seemed that Anakin grew more and more rebellious and disobedient. However he was also growing to be stronger and more charming which could easily become dangerous if left unchecked.

"For now we must eat," Obi Wan nodded to the boy who rose quickly to bring food to them both. His boots sank into the dry and crumbly soil as he walked back to the ship, clambering into the cockpit and reaching for the sack that held their supplies. Amongst various medical items he found two flasks of water, some powder for bread and dried fruits. He grasped both flasks under his arm but upon descending from the ship he thought twice and fastened one securely in the cockpit again.

He rejoined his master at the now glowing fire and set up stirring the powder to make bread for them both. Upon handing Obi wan the flask of water he felt his master's eyes on him. For a moment he felt a sweep of something within him but it wad only a moment and it was gone. He looked up with concern.

"Is everything alright, master?"

"Where is the other flask Anakin?"

He could feel his cheeks flush at the use of his name. He could tell that his master was suspicious of him and that hurt him.

"Master?"

"There were two flasks of water when we left. Why bring only one for both of us?"

Anakin shifted around so that his back was to Obi Wan as he broke the bread onto two plates.

"You think I don't know that you will only pretend to drink, so that I may have more. You've done it before," Anakin said quickly, regretting his disrespectful tone. His stomach ached a little while remembering the times his master had foregone a meal so that Anakin could eat, thinking he did not see. As a young boy he presumed Jedi were incapable of feeling hunger but he had felt it often enough. Another sign to him of his master's devotion.

He turned to hand over a plate and refused to look up as he began to pull apart his bread, a smaller portion than the one Obi Wan held in his hands.

"Padawan."

"Yes Master," he responded immediately knowing even in his petulance not to be insolent.

"I think it would be wise for you to look at the signal after our meal. After all, I'd rather have no need for more water," he smiled at Anakin and he could feel the tension, that crackled along their connection, release slightly.

"Yes Master. If you wish."


	2. To fight and to yield

"You're not concentrating," he heard a voice to his left say.

' _I'm trying.'_

"Not hard enough, young one. Get up."

Anakin felt as though his legs had been seared in a fire they ached so much but he could not disobey his master. Sometimes even when he badly wanted to. He felt the force within him expanding and contracting with each angry breath he took. The ground reeling away from his touch as be forced himself to stand again.

"Raise your stance. Your posture is not for finesse Padawan. Should you falter, lose control, even for a moment, you are lost."

"Yes, Master," he replied tiredly as he raised the lightsaber he had been given. Non lethal but they definitely still hurt. His eyes adjusted to the dim light of the room and he looked to his master in a silent challenge.

He felt confusion when he saw Obi Wan drop his stance.

"That will be all today, Anakin."

"But Master. I am ready to fight,"he replied in annoyance.

"Your enemy will not ask you when. You must know this. Knowing to how to fight is one thing young one. Knowing when to keep peace is another. You may go," he smiled gently.

Anakin felt a surge of anger flow through him and he tried to stop it before it reached their connection but the quiet hum within his soul told him he had lost control.

"You enjoy tormenting me," he muttered sullenly and dropped the saber to the ground. He had turned to leave then when he felt an energy wrap around his torso and keep him there. The force of the movement caused him to turn and face Obi Wan.

He could only feel shock at the look of hurt his master wore. All at once the sensation dropped and he found himself running along the never ending corridors back to his quarters. He climbed into bed and beneath the covers he tried to quell his trembling.


	3. Teenagers

"Now, the hydraulic mechanisms can be tricky when you first start out. The trick is to-,"

"Bring it right to the tension, I know, master," Anakin rolled his eyes and followed it up with a cheeky grin that usually got him out of trouble. Obi Wan gave him a stern look regardless.

"Anakin, how can you learn if you refuse to be taught anything?"

Anakin laughed with the carefree sigh of youth and leaned in towards the Jedi master crammed beside him in the open topped ship.

"I've been doing this for years!"

"Flying or being stubborn," he raised an eyebrow at his young padawan.

"You don't trust me," Anakin said mockingly with just a touch of paranoia.

"Not in this, I don't. Anakin this ship is much more advanced than anything you've flown before. Far more powerful and you must be responsible when-"

Anakin pressed the power button on the control pad and the ship thrummed with energy.

"Anakin Skywalker, listen to me when-"

He revved the engine with a smirk that infuriated Obi Wan. He was glad that there were few others around them in this stretch of the city. He had almost shrivelled in on himself in embarassment when they had arrived to find another master guiding their padawan through flight trials in this district and Master Kenobi had been glad that the ship was under his control. Anakin's eyes being much more focused on the young lady practicing that they ever would have been on the open sky.

Obi Wan opened his mouth to speak again and gave an exasperated sigh as Anakin revved the engine again but held back a laugh when their was the blissful silence of the engine cutting out.

"I believe that's enough for today," he said quietly. Inwardly he relished the chastised look to Anakin's features given how cheeky he had grown of late. He hopped up onto the front of the ship and using the force he slid his young Padawan along the seat to the passenger side in an uncoordinated manner that left him in a gangly heap. His cry of indignation was drowned out by the revving of the engine as he started the ship once more, smoothly pulling into the sky.


	4. A step too far

"You can't always have the things you want, young Padawan."

"Must everything become a lesson, Master?"

Anakin didn't look up from his breakfast for a response.

"It just seems that you can't always teach the things you want,"he continued whilst twirling his spoon.

"You'd better be careful who hears you say such things Anakin. It isn't only me that is concerned in your education. You are the Chosen One."

"Really,"he muttered in mock surprise.

"The walls have ears, Anakin."

Setting his spoon down in a huff he pushed his chair back from the table.

"You sound like Kitster and my father combined."

Upon saying it he began to regret losing his temper. He wondered if Obi Wan would ask.

"Then they sound very wise," Master Kenobi sipped from his cup and rose from the table to look out the window of their quarters. They were invited to dine with others at breakfast but often Obi Wan refused, preferring their private quarters. It was only now that Anakin was older he began to understand why Obi Wan required so much solace.

"Did you have friends, Master? Where you came from?"

His soul lifted a little when he turned to give him his full attention. However his master seemed...sad.

"Anakin."

"I had a best friend. The one you sound like," he went on excitedly. "Boy, master, if you knew me then and the trouble we caused you never would have taken me as your Padawan" he said with a charming smile as he lifted the small kettle to refill Obi Wan's cup.

"Don't you ever find it strange, there we both were. Both born as nothing in the dirt and now here I am. He was a slave, you know. Master, how does the force come to be? In me and not- not him. Isn't it strange that it could have been and he would have been your Padawan i stead-"

"STOP THIS, ANAKIN!"

Anakin couldn't help but physically recoil, spilling hot tea across his hand. He gasped when Obi Wan took a firm grasp of the injured hand.

"You are not a random mishap, scraped from the waste of those deserts. You are the Chosen One. How can you be so ignorant? Everything is a lesson because you must be the fastest, the wisest and the most true. Put the kettle down."

Anakin tried to mask the slight tremble to his fingers as he set the tea upon the table once more.

"And no. I didn't. I was six months old when I was taken from my home. The Jedi Temple became my home, my family. You exist to bring balance to the Force, you are my family Anakin."

In a rush of affection Anakin saw the doorway of their connection and reached forward like vines creeping through a keyhole. The lock gave way and all of the emotions hidden inside flooded his soul, never matching the images in his mind's eye.

"Master," he called out into the void from which he couldn't find his bearings.

"Anakin!"

There was a cold all around him. It became unbearably bright.

"Anakin, can you hear me?"

The comfort of Obi Wan's voice blanketed him as he came to, laying on the hard floor of their rooms.

"I'm sorry," Anakin said softly when he realised what he had done. The line he had not just crossed, the line he had burned to ash.

"You have grown stronger," Obi Wan said with a mixture of pride and concern.

"I never meant to-"

"I understand."

"About your home, I upset you. I only asked because-"

"I know. Hush child, perhaps you should return to bed."

Master Kenobi aided him to his feet and watched him take the last few shaky steps to his bed, falling asleep almost instantly. Only when he was sure of sleep did Obi Wan reach out with gentle tendrils of energy; scoping and trying to understand. He had been weak, his defences low in a moment of emotion regarding his past. But no one Anakin's age, even with his level of training should have been able to reach him so deeply. This would require further thought. He considered his Padawan carefully as he lifted the small kettle.


	5. Losing part of oneself

"Is this really necessary," Anakin smirked as two guards stood in the doorway of the council room.

'No one was really hurt,' he said to himself, thinking on how melodramatic the Jedi were.

He watched with increasing wariness as various members of the Jedi council took their seats, many of them not looking at him as he hovered in the centre of the room.

"Be quiet, Anakin."

His tone easily lowered the mood of the entire galaxy and Anakin felt something close to guilt.

'Well if they weren't so uptight all the time.'

Obi Wan faced away from him but he could easily paint a portrait of the resigned look he most likely wore.

"Master," Anakin started with a roll of his eyes.

"I did not tell you to speak."

The venom that laced those words stung.

"Master Kenobi, we shall begin now," Adi said gently and Obi Wan nodded and took the seat closest to the doorway. Anakin was tempted to roll his eyes again.

"Padawan Skywalker, the Jedi council has been called here today in light of your conduct as a Jedi padawan. Your reckless behaviour is intolerable in an order that demands mastering one's impulses and childish whims," she emphasised the last few words.

"You know why you are here," Mace Windu looked at him with a stern expression. "And you realise there are consequences to your actions."

Anakin felt a surge when the force pulsed through him. He found it intolerable that Mace Windu would try to manipulate him. He, the Chosen One. He pushed back with all his strength and felt victorious when Mace flinched, looking vaguely afraid.

"I was defending myself," he retorted, fixing various members of the council with what he thought was an innocent stare.

"You were beyond your limitations," Kit replied. "Leaving without permission, beyond Padawan curfew to explore a city that you do not know. You are in training to become a Jedi yet you are a disgrace to the values we uphold. Brawling in the streets, representing the Order and making it a mockery!"

There were murmurs of agreement throughout the room and Anakin felt his fists clenched.

"They attacked me!"

"Anakin Skywalker. You must learn that there are consequences for the moments when a Jedi cannot control themselves. You do not seem to realise how many doubt your capabilities," Mace Windu spoke once more. "And with every step, you prove them right. Could we go back to the beginning, perhaps we, as an Order, may have made different choices."

Anakin felt his cheeks flush and the room became unbearably warm. He was saying he was unworthy. That they never should have trained him.

"Kneel," he said with a sigh and a shake of his head.

Anakin's brow furrowed in confusion but one look to his Master and he knew not to disobey. His knees hurt briefly as he dropped down but the embarassment of the position hurt more.

"Master Kenobi."

Anakin felt reassured when his Master stood behind him and turned his head slightly.

"The cutting of a Padawan braid is a ceremony of honour, Skywalker. The transition to a Jedi Knight. For you, however, you will wear it as a sign of disgrace."

He watched with growing worry as Mace Windu motioned to Obi Wan and he heard the sound of a lightsaber behind him, it's blue light casting his own shadow before him.

He felt Obi Wan's hand on his shoulder, keeping him in place as the heat swept behind his ear. He closed his eyes and realised too late that tears had escaped. He hoped they would go unnoticed. He didn't look to see who lifted his hand and tied the braid around his wrist.

'It will grow again, young padawan,' he heard Obi Wan in his mind. 'Appease the council for now. I'm sorry.'

"Go now, you must," Grand Master Yoda spoke with sadness.

Anakin heard but couldn't find within him the strength to move. In truth it felt as though the force had chained him to the ground by his knees. He was almost a dead weight as Obi Wan pulled him to his feet and marched him from the room. His breathing quickened and morphed into dry heaves as he sobbed into Master Kenobi's shoulder.

"I didn't mean to fight. I thought they would kill me, master."

"Hush, now. It's alright, young one. The braid will grow again. And when you are finally a Jedi Knight you will be proud of how much you yourself have grown."

"Have I disgraced you, Master," he asked. His eyes so wide and tearful that Obi Wan was taken off guard. He tried to think on how Qui Gon might have reacted if it had been him.

"You have made me proud Anakin. Because it is clear how much the Order means to you. But the rules exist for a reason, Anakin. And that reason is not for your enjoyment in breaking them. You look now like Jedi, but your behaviour must reflect that."

Anakin held up his wrist that had his braid twisted around it.

"Do you think it will grow back before I see P-" he faltered. "I do not wish to be disgraced before the Senate."

"I'm sure it will," Obi Wan assured him.

Later that evening Obi Wan watched through the gap in the doorway as Anakin stood in the fresher, scraping as much of his short hair as he could into a small braid. He turned his head this way and that trying to see his handiwork and Obi Wan backed away from the door just in time as it opened.

"Goodnight Master," he said with a soft smile and closed the door to his bedroom. Obi Wan had forgotten there had ever once been a door there.


	6. Falling for the Rain

He stood on the balcony. The cool night air was refreshing in his moment of melancholy. His mind thought back to when he used to watch Qui Gon stare into the darkness like this. He had imagined then that this was how a man should put the world to rights. If only he looks to the stars, he will understand. But he is not Qui Gon and so all that comes to him are more questions.

It had taken all of his strength to stay on this side of the blasted door. Many nights he had removed his robes, thrown water on his face and climbed into bed, knowing that he would be wakened by his charge in the fit of a nightmare. This night, he awoke to the sobs and cries that he had become so used to but now they were on behalf of real events rather than a dream.

He did not know what to do, how to comfort the young boy. Almost grown now. He himself felt powerless, disgraced and ashamed. If Anakin was stubborn and reckless it was Obi Wan's doing. In truth he believed that Anakin had the makings of a great Jedi because of his stubborness; his steadfast dedication to the light. He knew that even the greatest Sith Lord would struggle to bring Anakin down.

He reached out a hand as he heard the first few drops of rain begin to land on the balcony. They were sharp on his skin as he turned his wrist to stretch out his palm. All at once the sounds from next door stopped. He knew they would. For, to Anakin, the rain was everything.

The first time when Anakin had seen rain was here on Coruscant, in the high Jedi temples that touched the sky in a way that you may think they created it. Barely a week into taking on the Padawan, Obi Wan had been teaching him to meditate. The boy was restless and frequently opened his eyes, sighing and rearranging his legs.

All at once, it seemed, the rain began to pour against the glass. Obi Wan found the sound soothing and opened his eyes to tell the boy to sit still when he found the space was empty.

He had turned and found Anakin pressed so hard to the glass he thought he may fall through by sheer force of will.

"Water," he cried excitedly and looking at Obi Wan with confusion. "It's falling from the sky!"

"It's rain, Anakin."

"Rain," the boy repeated.

As he had grown, no matter what, the sound of rain brought Anakin to the window in a state of wonder and childlike awe. He could picture him now, blue eyes shining and he opened the connection between them to assure him he was there. He felt a rush of affection sent back to him as they both watched the rain fall.


	7. Jedi abstain from loneliness

Today had been wearying to say the least. By the time the ship had arrived back at Coruscant, he wanted nothing more than to peel off the sweaty robes he wore, bathe and sleep.

He was optimistic however. He had always been taught that the Light can only be known in the presence of true darkness and in the moment he had lost Qui Gon, the world may as well have been pitch black. He had given over much of his meditation to questions. He wondered why the Jedi were not allowed to form attachments; surely it was his love that Qui Gon that kept him here, to defeat the Dark Side of the Force. What else had kept him from simply taking himself from this world when the light left his master's eyes. He was reminded then; Anakin.

Now, lying here amongst soft sheets, he knew himself to be selfish. He was no longer a boy, his family were the Jedi order and Qui Gon had been the only loss he had ever known. It hurt his heart when he knew that such a young child had just left his family and his home to be taken under the care of strangers. Strangers who did not love him or care for him; who saw him as a vital piece of a very elaborate chess game.

He had taken the boy to the rooms they were both to share; watched him clean his teeth and gestured to the room where he would now sleep. Who was he but the strange man who had taken him from his mother? How could a child understand that he was no longer suppose to love and would never again be loved? Obi Wan realised then that life is hard and he loved Qui Gon enough to be glad he no longer had to suffer it all.

He heard the voice of uncertainty and sadness in his mind saying 'Master' and his heart ached. Upon hearing it again, however, he realised the voice was not from his own thoughts. He sat up, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the dark. The boy stood at the foot of his bed, looking small and wary.

Obi Wan imagined he ought to scold the boy and send him away, to demonstrate that obedience was key. Perhaps he could be kinder and take him back to his room and bid him goodnight. But he did neither of these things. Instead he slipped from under the covers, knelt in front of the boy and pulled him into a hug.

"M'sorry," he heard and felt the boy mumble into his shoulder. His hand gently held his head, the soft hair that would soon be cut into a Padawan braid.

"It's alright," he said softly. "It's alright to be sad."

Anakin pulled back a little but Obi Wan still kept his hands on his shoulders.

"Are Jedi ever sad?"

Obi Wan could only vaguely remember a time when he hadn't been.

"When it is necessary," he said diplomatically. "But we learn to control our emotions."

"Is being lonely an emotion," Anakin asked with an innocence that startled Obi Wan for a moment. He started to lose feeling in his legs from kneeling this way and so he moved to sit on the bed, inviting the boy to sit beside him.

"It fades with time."

"Are you sad that you have to train me?"

"No, Anakin. I'm very glad, in fact, I'm honoured. You will be a very powerful Jedi."

"Oh."

"You sound displeased," Obi Wan laughed, perplexed by this little creature. He simply shrugged and then yawned heavily. Obi Wan was about to suggest his return to bed when the boy started to bury himself amongst the sheets twisted at the bottom of the bed. It only took a moment before faint sounds of snuffling could be heard.

Watching for a moment, Obi Wan took a moment to decide what kind of mentor that he would be to the child. He told himself that if it was in the child's nature to love then it would be counter intuitive to go against this and so he should play it to their advantage. He was lying to himself though. In truth, he wanted the boy to love him and to give Anakin the love that Qui Gon had given him. Because after all these years, many battles and much meditation, Obi Wan had come to one conclusion.

Loneliness, although something we feel, is not an emotion. It is as when you feel the heat of the sun or the water in your hand. And just as with the sun, too much can burn. As with water, too much and you will drown.


	8. Author's Note

To all of those taking the time to read this story; I am truly humbled at the sheer number of people reading this work.

Your support is appreciated so very much and I hope I can write something beautiful. I will try my very best to keep the integrity of the characters and the sincerity of their emotions.

Faithfully yours,

Venus Jay


	9. Fire in the Darkness

"Listen to me, Anakin!"

"LIAR!"

"It's true. Anakin, I swear to you."

They faced each other now. Obi Wan had never know his heart to beat so violently in his chest before. His muscles ached from the onslaught of his former Padawan's strikes, his soul shattered into a million pieces that may well form the stars of some far off galaxy. Was this the end? Even if he should survive, would he want to?

"This is not you," he said as he lowered his defence by a fraction. His movement caused Anakin to raise his lightsaber with a tighter grip. Though the young Skywalker hid it well, Obi Wan saw the flash of pain in his eyes.

"The decisions you have made, the lives you have ended; it was not you. You are merely a puppet," he called over the sound of the fires burning. The rivers of lava created an unbearable heat where they stood, wave after wave that taunted them.

"You think I am weak," Anakin spat back, fury evident in every syllable. "You think, I could not become stronger on my own- that I am nothing without you!"

"You are weak," Obi Wan roared. He couldn't help himself. He may have lost any chance he had. "You were the Chosen One. You were supposed to help fight the Sith! Not become one! Palpatine has had you in his grasp from the beginning, Anakin," he shrugged, lowering his lightsaber completely. He was too tired to fight anymore.

"Everything was a plot to put us all where we are now."

"You're lying to me," Anakin looked away, a look of devastation etching shadows onto his youthful face. Obi Wan often forgot how young he still was. Barely a man.

"He placed Padmé right in front of you," Obi Wan spoke more to himself now. "And you were helpless. How could you possibly resist the chance of love? To have everything you had lost. Everything that has been taken from you, that we have taken from you," he felt his heart break at the thought of what Anakin would be had they left him alone. Looking up to his friend once more, his heart seemed to slow entirely until each beat became forgotten to him.

"Padmé?"

The poor child.

"She loves me," he said so quietly Obi Wan could only hear it through the Force. "She wouldn't- Palpatine knew nothing of our love. You were all blind," he laughed coldly. "He was helping me to save her," he insisted, eyes wide and assured.

"Save her," Obi Wan questioned.

"Now, my powers are greater than you could know. I will not lose her. I cannot lose her," he advanced on Obi Wan, raising his lightsaber once more.

"I will not fight you, Anakin," he replied calmly, using the Force to shield himself. It was painful to watch the boy's confusion at his inability to break through. Arrogance would always be his downfall.

"You have so much still to learn."

Anakin screamed with frustration as he used all the energy he could to fight.

"I HATE YOU!"

"And I loved you," Obi Wan shouted back. "I still love you, despite what you have become. Now I see why Jedi are forbidden to love because I should end you here where you stand!"

"DO IT! Be noble and just and please just kill me!"

"No. You can still end this, Anakin. You can bring the Light."

"NO!"

He seemed exhausted by the sheer effort of trying to bring down his former Master's shields. Obi Wan was startled to see his eyes take on the red of the fires they had once only been reflecting.

"If Padmé is to die, this is not the way to save her."

They looked at each other then for a long moment before Anakin dropped his attack. His lightsaber fell from his hand and landed in the ash.

"She...she can't," Anakin whispered and Obi Wan dropped his own lightsaber, rushing forward to catch him as he dropped to his knees. He felt the hands of a desperate man clutching at the front of his robes.

"I can't live without her," he sobbed.

"Palpatine has twisted your thoughts, Anakin. Your nightmares may be just that," he held him close. He heard Anakin murmuring to himself as they sat in a heap on the hot ash.

'I'm sorry. Master I'm so sorry.'

"Hush now, Anakin. It will be alright."

All around them the river of lava flowed and the fires burned, the light grew stronger and brighter: extinguishing the darkness.


	10. To beg a Queen

He could barely find the courage to look at her upon entering the apartment.

"Obi-wan. Please tell me."

"The Emperor has been taken under the control of the council. He will be given a trial under Jedi Law but ultimately he will be executed for his crimes against the Republic. The title of Emperor stands open to you should you so choose."

She came forward to him.

"Tell me about Anakin."

Obi-wan opened his mouth to speak but found himself without words.

"They know he had no choice," she said as tears filled her eyes.

"He will also be given the right to a trial," Obi-wan replied.

"And if he is found guilty?"

Obi-wan remained silent.

"No," she whispered and walked away. She pressed a hand to her stomach and sat down. "All of this was Palpatine. Anakin is not a murderer," she insisted. "He is a Jedi!"

"I am sorry to tell you that the title of Jedi has been revoked."

"A title means nothing," she said bitterly. "Anakin remains a Jedi." She seemed lost in thought for a moment and Obi-Wan moved to join her. He took her hands in his own.

"Should you consider becoming a delegate for Emperor, Anakin may stand a better chance."

"That is an uncertainty I am not willing to rely on. And a trial is given by the Order, not decided by one alone."

Obi-Wan hated her belief in politics then.

"Then you must leave," he said sternly. She blinked at him in surprise.

"I would never leave Anakin. He is my husband, I am carrying his child."

"He will go with you. Senator, I am suggesting you run," he told her in a whisper. She slapped him then.

"I do not run from justice," she said with an authority Obi-Wan has fast lost all respect for. "You think they will not find us? The Force is easily tracked, Master Kenobi. And Anakin has the strongest Force presence the council have ever known. They will hunt us down and kill us all," she gestured to the baby she carried. "Do you not ask me to choose between Anakin and our child. I know he would not wish to run. He is not a coward."

"I will leave," he said calmly as he stood. He did not look back as he made his way to the door. He could not just let Anakin die. He would do whatever it took.


	11. Meditation

He had little intention of fighting anyone. He easily acquised when Obi-Wan had taken him from the burning heat and brought him back to the Temple, a heavy burden clouding their friendship throughout the entire journey. There had been no illusion in his mind that things could go back to what they once had been. He had taken innocent lives and he expected to pay for it. Despite his Master's claims that Palpatine had been pulling strings all along, he found it hard to believe that he was not also to blame. He only knew of the dark thoughts of his own mind, the blood coating his own hands.

They had been kind to him even now, the guards bringing him to the little room he was to be held in. They brought him food and water and made sure he was comfortable. He wondered if Padmé had anything to do with the comforts he was being treated to. Despite the soft bed he still woke from horrific nightmares in which his wife screamed his name. He longed to see her but he feared what she would think when she saw him. He only remained a shadow of what he once was, if he had been anything at all.

He felt the most at peace he ever had. Sometimes he meditated, knowing that Obi-wan would be rolling his eyes somewhere. There was little else to do here. When they told him the Emperor was on trial he felt a protective anger rise up within him. Despite the accusations that he had been controlling him, Anakin could not shake the memories of Palpatine's kindness. He had treated Anakin as someone important who would be powerful and wise with the right training. He had basked in the seemingly unending attention granted to him. He realised now that perhaps Obi Wan had been right. As for Padmé, he didn't want to question her love for him but the thoughts crept up on his mind regardless.

He tried to bury the regrets he felt under the Force but it seemed they were one and the same and could not be quelled. Anakin was sure that the people he loved most were beginning to regret ever knowing him and no amount of meditation could ease that fear.


End file.
